Republican Rep. Tim Moore trails in unexpectedly close House race
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LaKesha Womack (left) and Tim Moore (right). Photos: Courtesy of candidates
In a potentially massive upset, U.S. Rep. Tim Moore is trailing by about 6,000 votes as of Wednesday morning in his reelection bid against Democrat LaKesha Womack in District 14. A loss would cost Republicans a seat they expected to hold on to.
Why it matters: Moore's anticipated loss underscores the blue wave's force, as Moore helped carve out this Republican-friendly district as House Speaker in North Carolina's General Assembly, right before he ran for the seat. It was supposed to be an easy win.
- With all of the precincts reporting, Lakesha Womack had 51.11% of the vote, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections. The AP had not declared a winner as of 7:15am Wednesday, Nov. 4.
The big picture: With key flips in North Carolina such as Roy Cooper's win, Democrats have taken control of both chambers of Congress.
And who's Womack? Womack has never held political office. She says she's an entrepreneur who previously experienced homelessness. She moved to North Carolina to work on Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign. Questions have been raised as to whether she actually lives in the 14th District.
- The home tied to her voter registration is listed for rent on Zillow, WBTV reported. And she recently bought a house in the 12th District. But you don't have to live in a district to run in it — just the same state.
- The district covers part of Mecklenburg County and stretches through Gaston, Cleveland, Rutherford, Burke and part of Polk counties.
- She previously told Axios her priorities in Congress would be to address affordability and restore "accountability for how taxpayer dollars are spent." She said she planned to advocate for federal investment in public schools, including teacher salaries and expanded early childhood education.
Zoom out: In North Carolina's 11th District, Democrat Jamie Ager won the open seat over Republican Jennifer Balkcom after incumbent Rep. Chuck Edwards ended his reelection bid in August.
- The race in District 8 also came unexpectedly close. Rep. Mark Harris, the other Republican congressman in Mecklenburg County, is 5,179 votes ahead of Democrat Colby Watson, as of 7:15am.
This is a developing story and will be updated.